Margaret Thatcher, Britain's First Female PM, Dead at 87

Female world leaders remain few and far in between; today the world is remembering Great Britain's first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, who died at age 87 after suffering a stroke.

Nicknamed the "Iron Lady" (and portrayed by Meryl Streep in the 2011 biopic), Thatcher was a tough-as-nails conservative leader who helmed the UK and aligned herself with President Ronald Reagan during the rocky late Cold War era. While we're still waiting for a female president in the U.S., (cough, Hillary, cough), Thatcher stepped up to the job 34 years ago, in 1979, serving until 1990.

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Thatcher was more Marissa Mayer than Sheryl Sandberg, saying she owed nothing to women's lib and neglecting to take up women's rights as a cause. But seeing Thatcher at the helm of a powerful country no doubt sent a message to women everywhere: Girls—or ladies—can run the world.

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